Trending Now - Purdue Pharma Faces Sentencing, Unlocking Opioid Settlement Funds
WHO:
ABC News - Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, is involved in the case.
ABC News - The Sackler family owns Purdue Pharma.
ABC News - Richard Sackler was a top executive and later president of Purdue Pharma.
ABC News - Susan Ousterman is a victim's mother advocating for justice.
WHAT:
ABC News - The government agreed in the plea deal not to collect $5.3 billion in criminal forfeitures and fines and $2.8 billion in civil liabilities from Purdue Pharma.
ABC News - Purdue Pharma will cease to exist and will be replaced by a new company named Knoa Pharma, which will operate for the public benefit and have a board appointed by the states.
ABC News - By the end of 2025, Purdue had paid law firms and other professionals working on all sides of the case more than $1 billion.
ABC News - A judge is expected to sentence Purdue Pharma to forfeit $225 million to the U.S. government.
ABC News - Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to three federal criminal charges in November 2020.
ABC News - The Sackler family is required to pay up to $7 billion as part of the settlement.
ABC News - More than 54,000 people with personal injury claims against Purdue voted to accept the settlement, while 218 voted against it.
ABC News - The broader settlement is valued at more than $50 billion.
WHERE:
ABC News - Purdue Pharma is based in Stamford, Connecticut.
WHEN:
CT Mirror - A judge delayed the criminal sentencing of Purdue Pharma to allow victims to attend the court proceeding in person.
ABC News - The sentencing is expected to occur on Tuesday, April 26th, 2026.
ABC News - The settlement was approved by another judge in 2025.
ABC News - The settlement is set to take effect on May 1st, 2026.
ABC News - Purdue Pharma's guilty plea occurred in November 2020.
ABC News - The Sackler family received $10.7 billion from Purdue from 2008 to 2018.
WHY:
ABC News - Some victims and their family members are pushing for the U.S. Justice Department to pursue criminal charges against individuals, including Sackler family members, asserting that the settlement and guilty plea stop short of justice for victims of the opioid crisis linked to 900,000 deaths in the U.S. since 1999.
ABC News - Some victims and their family members are pushing for the U.S. Justice Department to pursue criminal charges against individuals, including Sackler family members.
ABC News - The forfeiture and settlement are part of resolving federal civil and criminal probes into Purdue's role in the opioid crisis.
ABC News - Advocates view Purdue's aggressive sales of OxyContin as a significant factor in the opioid crisis.
HOW:
ABC News - Susan Ousterman organized others who lost loved ones to deliver victim impact statements to the court ahead of the sentencing.
ABC News - Purdue admitted to not having an effective program to prevent the diversion of prescription painkillers to the black market.
ABC News - Purdue paid doctors to prescribe opioids through a speakers program and incentivized an electronic medical records company to promote opioid prescriptions.
(UPDATED April 21, 2026 21:15 UTC)
A judge has delayed the criminal sentencing of Purdue Pharma to give victims the opportunity to attend the court proceeding in person. Many victims and their families are urging the U.S. Justice Department to pursue criminal charges against individuals, including members of the Sackler family, claiming that the current settlement and guilty plea do not provide adequate justice for those affected by the opioid crisis, which has been linked to 900,000 deaths in the U.S. since 1999. This decision comes as advocates continue to seek accountability for the ongoing impact of the epidemic.
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(UPDATED April 21, 2026 15:22 UTC)
The government has reached a plea deal with Purdue Pharma, agreeing not to collect $5.3 billion in criminal forfeitures and fines, as well as $2.8 billion in civil liabilities, while the company will be dissolved and replaced by a new entity called Knoa Pharma, which will operate for the public benefit. By the end of 2025, Purdue had already paid over $1 billion to law firms and other professionals involved in the case. Meanwhile, some victims and their families are urging the U.S. Justice Department to pursue criminal charges against individuals, including members of the Sackler family, with Susan Ousterman leading efforts to deliver victim impact statements to the court.
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(UPDATED April 21, 2026 07:23 UTC)
Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, is facing significant legal consequences as a judge is expected to sentence the company to forfeit $225 million to the U.S. government April 26th, following its guilty plea to three federal criminal charges in November 20th20. The Sackler family, which owns Purdue, is required to pay up to $7 billion as part of a broader settlement valued at over $50 billion, which has been accepted by more than 54,000 personal injury claimants. Advocates argue that Purdue's aggressive marketing of OxyContin played a major role in the opioid crisis, as the company admitted to failing to prevent the diversion of prescription painkillers to the black market.